Haha Sick – :) – debut EP from Derby stoner pop band

Derby stoner pop band Haha Sick quietly released their debut EP ‘:)’ at the end of 2017 but it’s well worth catching up with this five-track release of lo-fi but shimmering indie.

Opening with the scratchy garage rock riff of single Nobody Likes You this debut EP may have appeared subtly, from a local band seemingly more concerned with making music rather than their name, but is one which could easily find its way into your regular rotation. This first track is brilliant garage pop with touches of Sonic Youth to the

You Always Show has a climb of guitar raising the spectre of Derby miseribilists Cable as a the vocal reaches across the verse, but with a sweet harmony backing the chorus this is inspired rather than repeating what has gone before.

It’s final track Bombs which solidifies this as a great rather than good release – with whoops and harmonies there’s something of The Barracudas and Nervous Twitch to the ’60s pop sound, mixed with ’00s pop punk humour to the lyrics. This is the party at the end of the world, that doesn’t wallow but grins and finds the good time.

Though it may be short at 11 mins spread across five songs there’s no sense of being short-changed. Here’s they’ve trimmed the fat and kept the elements which make a languid track soar, which twitch the bones and pump the blood. For all the shimmering high-production indie around at the moment these songs have the authenticity often lacking, and even in their downs have the optimistic, even joyful, sweep of catchy pop at their core.

Haha Sick ‘:)’ is out now on the usual digital platforms – find it on Spotify and iTunes.